Michigan
10-16, 3-10Big
Purdue
22-5, 11-2Big T
Wolverines Fall Just Short of Upsetting No. 16 Purdue
2/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team put forth a valiant effort before falling 59-54 to Purdue (No. 16 AP/No. 15 ESPN/USA Today) Thursday night (Feb. 15) at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines (10-16, 3-10 Big Ten) were in control for most of the contest, but a late surge from the Boilermakers -- led by Katie Gearlds' game-high 21 points -- allowed Purdue (22-5, 11-2 Big Ten) to escape with the victory.
Sophomore Carly Benson (Carney, Mich./Carney-Nadeau Public School) poured in a team-high 15 points, including three triples, and added a team-best four steals. Sophomore Stephany Skrba (Toronto, Ontario/Langstaff Secondary School) chipped in eight points and a team-high eight rebounds, and classmate Jessica Minnfield (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic HS) had a strong presence as Michigan's floor general with seven points, seven boards and five assists.
Michigan stormed out of the gates and executed brilliantly on its first four possessions. The Wolverines went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the first 4:05 of the contest, including back-to-back triples from Benson and Minnfield. The result was a 12-5 U-M lead with 15:55 left in the first half.
Purdue answered with a 6-0 run to close the gap to 12-11 at 14:08, but Skrba finished a nifty feed from junior Janelle Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) at 13:23 to increase Michigan's lead to three points. Boilermaker guard Jodi Howell sank a triple at 13:08 to knot it at 14-14, but Benson answered with another trey to return the three-point advantage to U-M, and Cooper kept the Wolverines in front 19-16 with a driving lay-up at 9:38.
Another Benson triple -- her third of the night -- at 7:06 drew a timeout from Purdue, as the Wolverines' inspired play delivered their biggest lead of the game, 24-18. Both defenses took over for the next few moments, resulting in a 24-22 Michigan lead at 4:39.
Gearlds scored four of her 11 first-half points as halftime neared, handing the Boilermakers their first lead of the game, 26-24, at 2:26. Junior Ta'Shia Walker (Lansing, Mich./J.W. Sexton HS) gave U-M a spark off the bench, scoring four straight points to return the advantage to Michigan, 28-26, with 48 seconds remaining until the break. Purdue's Erin Lawless tied it again with a put-back at 26 seconds, but Minnfield split her pair of free throws as time ran out, leaving the halftime score 29-28 in favor of Michigan.
The Wolverines finished the half shooting 41 percent (9-of-22). Benson paced the Wolverines with 11 points, including a hot 3-of-5 from three-point land. The Boilermakers were led by Gearlds (11 points) and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (10 points).
Purdue recaptured the lead, 30-29, at 19:50 on a bucket from the paint by Wisdom-Hylton. The teams got defensive again during the next few minutes, exchanging scores and a collection of turnovers to deadlock the game again, 35-35, at 13:32.
Walker rattled in a triple from the left corner to give U-M a 40-38 advantage at 10:37. Skrba followed with a solid series on both ends, drawing a player-control foul on defense and sinking two free throws at the other to extend the Wolverine lead to 42-38.
Purdue clawed back, as Gearlds' leaning jump shot at 5:27 knotted the score at 45-45. Walker sank two free-throws on the ensuing possession to return the lead to U-M, but Purdue continued to answer, taking back a 49-47 advantage at 2:56 on a Wisdom-Hylton lay-in.
Minnfield nailed a big three-pointer at 2:15 to tie the score at 50-50, but Wisdom-Hylton again answered with a turnaround from the left post, followed by a clutch triple from Gearlds, to give the Boilermakers a 55-50 lead with 58 seconds remaining. Benson's basket with 41 seconds left gave the Wolverines hope for the comeback, but Purdue was steady enough at the free throw stripe to complete the five-point victory.
The Wolverines return to action on Sunday (Feb. 18) against Northwestern. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CST start at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., and can be heard live over the radio on WLBY (AM 1290).
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
